A Greener Christmas: Ethical Gifts, Wrapping & Energy Savings

How do I have a great Christmas without it costing the Earth?

Your Ultimate Guide to an Eco-Friendly Christmas

It’s soon to be some people’s favourite time of year, and for others their worst nightmare. Christmas can mean many different things to a lot of people. For some, it’s about the childhood excitement of Christmas morning, for others it’s family food fights and cleaning Brussel sprouts up off the floor.

What doesn’t change, however, is the undeniable surge in waste, energy and cost around the festive period. From millions of unwanted gifts to tons of discarded wrapping paper piling up in landfill sites, the environmental impact of Christmas seems like an inevitable price we pay to get through the longest nights of the year. Fortunately, The GOOD Shopping Guide is here to prove this doesn’t have to be the case.

Whether you’re a Scrooge or one of Santa’s little helpers, this guide will help you make the most out of your Christmas, without it costing the Earth.

Should I bother giving gifts this Christmas?

Gifts are often seen as one of the most defining parts of the Christmas period, which also makes them one of the most daunting. Mounting pressure to buy gifts for people when we don’t really know what they want or need results in an estimated £42 million worth of unwanted Christmas presents, most of which end up in landfill. According to Hippo Waste, the most unwanted presents come from coworkers and neighbours, so think twice if you’re shopping for someone just for the sake of it.

Similarly, if you find yourself on the receiving end of an unwanted gift, instead of throwing it away, see if you can donate to your local charity shops or food banks. This is a great way to not only keep gifts from filling out landfills but also spreads festive cheer at no cost to you – it’s a win-win-win!

With the increasing popularity of second-hand selling sites such as Vinted, eBay and Facebook Marketplace, it’s easier than ever to sell your unwanted gifts and make some extra cash (which never goes amiss at Christmastime!) on the side.

How do I make my gifts sustainable and worthwhile?

So now you’ve narrowed down your Christmas Gifting List to the essentials, but how do you pick out thoughtful and magical gifts from sustainable sources you ask? Look no further.

Choosing any one of our fantastic Ethically Accredited companies here at The GOOD Shopping Guide guarantees that your money is going to a business that cares. For the full list, check out our Top 200 Ethical Businesses page, or read on to explore some of our festive-themed picks.

• For an easy, hand-picked gift-shopping experience, newly Accredited Pangolins offers a curated range of eco-friendly luxury gifts that are sure to please even the hardest-to-by-for on your nice list.
• Ethical Health & Beauty is made simple by Green People’s extensive range of make-up, skincare and haircare products to choose from which make great stocking-fillers. For more health & beauty brands we endorse, see our Top 200 Ethical Businesses List.
• Need a last-minute festive delivery? Our top-scoring flower delivery companies Arena Flowers and Prestige Flowers can deliver gorgeous arrangements with next day delivery – perfect for a home-warming gesture.

Ethical gifting ideas from The GOOD Shopping Guide’s verified ethical brands

Jewellery – for the sparkly version of ‘I love you’:

Ethica Diamonds and Serendipity Diamonds

Clothing – wrap your loved ones up warm this Winter:

Karee, Komodo, Ladage Bonton and PLAINANDSIMPLE

Beauty Products – for that smells-good feels-good self-care:

Bloomtown, Caurnie, Conscious Skincare, Dark Island Soap Co., Fushi Wellbeing, Green People, Herbfarmacy, Living Naturally, Love Ethical Beauty, Melody’s Magical Scents, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Odylique, Oy!, Planted, Raven Botanicals, TanOrganic, and Tropic Skincare

For the Home – from candles to flowers, make someone’s home a little brighter:

Bloom, Cotswold Botanical, Crocus, and Purscents

Food & Drink – tasty treats never go amiss:

Alter Eco, Avallen Spirits, Downton Distillery, Free From Fellows, Raw Living and Seed & Bean

What should I use to wrap my gifts sustainably?

So you’ve got your presents, but now you’re faced with a mountain of plastic and single-use wrapping paper. Don’t worry, you don’t need to think outside the box here, because sustainable companies have already done the hard work for you.

Our Ethically Accredited business Party Without Plastic offers an outstanding range of sustainable festive materials from biodegradable ribbon to plantable cards. You can get everything from the absolute essentials (paper tape, recycled wrapping paper) to luxurious extras (reusable silk wrapping paper, handmade decorations).

Don’t be afraid to salvage some old wrapping paper if it’s up to scratch – sometimes a strategically placed ribbon is all that’s needed to elevate something old into something new. For more crafty ideas, try using newspaper for a rustic look or even some old material and add a bow to make it sparkle.

How do I keep my carbon footprint low and my house warm this Christmas?

It’s no surprise that domestic energy bills surge during the festive period – and it’s not just Christmas Day. As the nation switches on its Christmas lights, the first week of December sees electricity demand rise by 7.3% according to the National Grid. And to cook the country’s 8.5 million turkeys, it takes over 63 GWh of energy, the same as powering 23,500 homes for one year!

The good news is that since 2021, renewable energy has made up about half of the electricity used on Christmas Day. The even better news is that three of the leading pioneers of green energy in the UK have attained independent Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide. Ocotpus Energy, 100Green and Ecotricity all offer fossil fuel-free energy mixes for your home, meaning you can keep your carbon footprint low and your conscience clear. Ethical Accreditation means that you can trust that these companies’ environmental claims are substantiated and supported, not mere greenwashing as other businesses are guilty of.

For more tips on how to save energy this Christmas, listen to the experts over at Energy Saving Trust who can give you specialist guidance.

Now that you have our tips on sustainable gifting, wrapping and energy usage this Christmas, there’s only one thing left to say:

Have a very merry Christmas from The GOOD Shopping Guide!